General Politics Discussion

[plam]

Of course, even some of the progressives I speak with suggest stuff like "well we should have a floor on the support a party must get to seats". So I guess this makes me a radical because I think this is a bad idea, and that the extremists who support the PPC deserve and should get representation.

Look at that, I can vote in NZ now if I show up in the country a year before the next election---residents can vote.

NZ kind of got its MMP system by a unique set of circumstances. People didn't really think it would happen and then it did. It does tend to drive things towards the center, which is probably good. There has been a fringe party (NZ First) which has been, as they put it, the "handbrake" on the governing party, but they got booted out of Parliament in the 2020 election.

NZ has a 5% floor to get seats unless a party elects a riding MP (and then they get additional MPs "coat-tailing" on the elected MP). Government commissions have said the floor should be 4% but that hasn't happened yet.

I think MMP is a good thing, though I understand why Trudeau didn't implement it. Didn't seem like a good idea for the Liberals until it is obviously needed and then it's too late.